Click a link below to see updates on cattle from a specific issue of Progressive Dairy.
2021
Issue 2, 2021: January 19, 2021 Issue 1, 2021: January 1, 2021
2020 Issue 20, 2020: December 12, ...
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2016 consumer trust research by the Center for Food Integrity states that a majority of consumers know little about dairy farming, yet they have a very strong desire to learn more about how ...
Northeastern U.S. dairy producers have shown remarkable resilience in the face of falling revenues, according to the annual Northeast Dairy Farm Summary. However, sharply declining asset-to-liability ratios ...
Let’s think about what is happening today with dairy farm business owners – you:
Milk prices refuse to rebound despite continuing predictions that higher prices are ahead.
Many parts of the country ...
Two recent articles about supermarkets caught my attention. The first was from the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS). ERS reports retail food prices in 2016 were 1.3 percent lower than the previous ...
When I’m looking to generate more income for a dairy, the milking parlor is one of the first places I look to create cash flow. More often than not, I find facilities, cows and employees are under-utilized, ...
Good management requires good observational powers. You’ve got to see and hear, and sometimes even feel, taste and smell, to ascertain whether or not things are going as planned. Technology makes it possible ...
During stressful times, it’s easy to let emotions overtake rational thinking – which can lead to poor decision-making. Throughout my nearly 25-year career, I’ve seen U.S. dairy producers feel the stress ...
I’m not sure who sent the stray voltage to the groundhog in February, but I think he was a little off-target this year. While spring yielded to summer early in the South, Old Man Winter clung to some parts ...
Heat stress and the problems associated with it can be costly to your dairy operation. Not only are there losses in milk production, but studies are also linking heat stress to lower reproduction rates, ...
Dairy cows are very susceptible to heat stress and will adapt by reducing their milk production. Only half of that milk reduction is explained by a lower dry matter intake; other metabolic changes are ...
Compost-bedded pack barns are an alternative to traditional freestall barns, typically offering additional space for roaming and lying down for lactating, dry and special-needs cows.
“We have been ...
Today’s technology is offering ways to enhance cow comfort using labor-saving robots, automated equipment and computerized health monitoring systems. With such a wide array of options available, selecting ...
We all need a good back scratch every once in a while, and cows are no different. In their natural environment, cows will rub up against trees and bushes. Around the farm, they will use other objects like ...
Do you remember the last time you banged your head on something? Think of a time when you really gave it a whack.
What was it? Where were you?
Will you be darn sure you don’t do it again next time? ...
Producers should consider maternity care, dry cow health, overstocking and social stressors when looking for ways to improve cow comfort.
“If we take care of our cows, they’ll take care of us,” Dr. ...
With thousands of robots in place on North American dairies, barn layouts and designs are becoming more diverse. The key to robot success is for the producer to be passionate about the barn layout and ...
For several years, Shiloh Dairy in Brillion, Wisconsin, was troubled by an epidemic of twisted and turned-up toes on cows’ and heifers’ front feet, but with the help of a committed consultant, they have ...
Digital dermatitis (DD), known as hairy heel warts, strawberry foot rot, raspberry heel, Mortellaro’s disease and foot warts, has become the most common foot lesion on many dairy herds throughout North ...
I’m sure you’ve run into lameness challenges in the past – or perhaps you’re currently facing some challenges? Or maybe they’re looming around the corner but you’re not aware of them yet.
Let’s take ...
Digital dermatitis (DD) is often referred to as “mastitis of the hoof.” When it comes to milk production, hoof care can be just as important as udder care. A lame cow won’t be able to stand on its feet, ...
Finding cows with a locomotion score of “3” could be the magic number that transforms lameness levels within a dairy herd, according to Neil Andrew, Northeast account manager with Zinpro Corporation.
During ...
Ben Sorrell lives in Galena, Missouri, traveling across the state and into northwest Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma as a professional hoof trimmer.
He started Sorrell Hoof Trimming 26 years ago and ...
Over 80 hoof-trimming enthusiasts met in Tomah, Wisconsin, to network and learn more about their trade at a winter getaway on Feb. 18-19. The gathering was coordinated by trimmers Skip Blake from Wisconsin ...
Today, I attended the graveside services of my uncle. It was a sweet service set in the old country cemetery of Heber, Arizona. The marble and sandstone grave markers are nestled under towering pines and ...
Across the country, millions of acres of hay are baled or chopped every year. Nearly all of this hay needs to be gathered into a windrow to allow it to be picked up for harvest.
There are many different ...
Decisions on the dairy should be based on increasing efficiency to improve the bottom line. As you weigh the costs and benefits of cooling your cows, the numbers quickly add up: Cooling wins every time. ...
Acknowledged as a leading cause of lameness in the dairy industry, digital dermatitis (DD) is a widespread problem present on the majority of U.S. dairies. Also known as hairy heel warts, this costly and ...
What is one of the first things you notice as you drive by a dairy farm? Some might say the smell, but for even those outside of the industry, one of the first things you notice are the barns. They are ...
We’re lying on the couch, watching Netflix. My girlfriend rests her hand on my belly. I shift on my side so her hand slides off. She puts her hand back on my stomach. I browse through the movies, reading ...
June Dairy Month might be over, but that doesn’t mean we are off the hook when it comes to promoting the industry. Sharing our farm story and connecting with consumers is something we should be doing every ...
I met my new neighbor this last week. He just bought the old place down the road and moved here from a big city. He said, “I wanted to move to rural America because you just can’t put a price on family ...
Dairy regulators recently launched a new pilot program to watch for tetracycline traces in milk on July 1. The new monitoring program will test milk for tetracycline antibiotics such as oxytetracycline, ...
What are the most important aspects to keeping cows comfortable? How can dairy farmers realistically improve cow comfort? Why is comfort such a focus today?
A panel of experts addressed these questions ...
Technology, among other things, has changed the dairy landscape, and as dairy numbers continue to decline and farm sizes increase, it’s important to tell the story of how we progressed to where we are ...
Extra days open, premature culling, lost milk production and even death are some of the costly consequences of lameness on a dairy, but there are ways producers can cut down on losses.
“Lameness is ...
Water is one of the most important resources on a dairy farm, not only because it is essential for cow consumption, but also because it is heavily used to wash, clean and cool the dairy facility.
In ...
Created on 03 August 2016
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